How to make a lacrosse stick

Did you ever wonder how to make a wooden lacrosse stick?

I think Alf Jaques, Jack Johnson, Max Kelsey, and Justin Skaggs would have different answers.

However, thanks to the 1951 card from Nabisco Shredded Wheat pictured below now you know. This card was part of the third book in a series of four books that Nabisco published in 1951 and 1952. Individual cards from each book were included in Shredded Wheat packages for a period of about 9 months. In conjunction with the release of the cards, there was also a radio program that featured Straight Arrow - the fictional American Indian character featured in the books. I guess they thought they were being clever calling them ‘Injun-uity cards’ - a play on words combining the racial slur ‘injun’ with the word ‘ingenuity’. They were not but the popularity of Straight Arrow and Nabisco’s shrewd marketing led to many Straight Arrow novelties being produced as Nabisco sold the rights and the figure appeared on products like toys, clothing, and comic books. The whole phenomenon is an early example of modern merchandising (think Star Wars, Disney, Pixar, etc.).

Lacrosse is a fast game originated by the Indians. Indian lacrosse sticks vary by tribe. The most popular today is patterned after that of the Iroquois.

The Lacrosse ball can be carved from cedar to a diameter of 2.5” with a hole drilled through the center. However the hard wooden ball is likely to be dangerous. Straight Arrow suggests Tennis Balls as a satisfactory substitute.

Card No. 34…in a series of 36 STRAIGHT ARROW INJUN-UITIES

You can view card 34 in book 3 here.